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Not a ‘flat’ life after all
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interiors Lively and breezy, Johnny Lever’s apartment reflects the man – right from the entrance
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Jolly mera naam Johnny Lever with images of his favourite comedian Charlie Chaplin, at the entrance to his apartment
Comedian Johnny Lever proves that good things come in small packages. He talks about the effort and the period that went into making his dream house.
“I am very attached to my house as it took me years to earn the money required to buy it. I have seen poverty and hunger from close quarters in my childhood. I have lived in all parts of the Mumbai slums before making a name for myself and buying a house. I have worked really hard to be able to purchase this house at Yamuna Nagar in Andheri (W). “When I came to see this flat with my estate agent in 1990, the appearance of the huge gate in front of the building fascinated me so much that even before seeing the flat, I had made up my mind to settle here. I bought the place even though it was expensive, because I always wanted to live in this locality — the studios are close by and this is one of the better suburban areas.
“I live on the fifteenth floor of Oxford Tower with my wife and two children. The entrance to my house will remind you that you are entering a comedian’s house as it has pictures of Charlie Chaplin, my favourite comedian, on the wall next to the main door.
“Ours is a three-bedroom flat and my children have individual rooms for themselves. The interior was completely planned by my wife and it took her a year to finish it. I trusted her choice and today I can proudly say she has done a marvellous job.
“The furniture and the layout are 10 years old, but the house still looks new and elegant as every year my interior decorator touches it up.
“My wife and I are simple people and love maintaining the house and keeping the décor intact. The furniture has been brought from Paris. The dining table and the centre table are made of transparent acrylic which looks like glass. My favourite part of the house is the two-tiered living room which gives it a sleek look. I use the living room for leisure activities. I am a TV buff and love watching funny shows. “In my free time, I read the Bible. I have a huge painting of Jesus Christ on the living room wall. This reminds me that God is always there to bless me.
“My wife is fond of flowers. She has huge vases placed on either side of the sofa and near the entrance. She changes the flowers regularly.
“The entire apartment is airy as there is no building opposite ours except for a club which has its swimming pool facing our house. The view is just amazing because the whole of Versova is visible from our windows. I like open windows and am absolutely against installing grilles as I find it suffocating.
“I need sound sleep to feel healthy and my bedroom is the only place which puts me in the right frame of mind required for hours of shooting. On either side of the bed, there are ivory-coloured carvings. The cupboard has glass doors which serve as mirrors and again add to the elite look of the house. “I give my kids full freedom at home. They have grown too old to mess up the house, but kids from the other apartments in the building and relatives gather here and leave the house in a mess. I don’t curb their freedom as I see my childhood in them. I can even go to the extent of re-doing or re-painting my house if a child spoils it.
“For me there is no place like home. I believe no matter how hard we work and where we go, we have to come back to where we belong — which for me is my home.”
ANU CHANANA
Bollywood News Service
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